There’s that persistent support for 45, a minority but now the subject of much palaver, erudite and otherwise. There’s the right wing edition, 45 won because he appealed to those upset with the political elites. This argument rests on the Voters want Change premise, often coupled with “and Obama didn’t provide it” addendum. The unprecedented obstruction of the GOP notwithstanding. Bunkum.

First, this creates an artificial separation of the question. A vote is a snapshot in time, continued support is another matter. Support on election day is not necessarily an indication of future agreement. Secondly, it avoids the obvious. Polling prior to the 2016 election showed significant support for 45 from white, older, males. And who tends to vote more consistently? Older white males. Not surprisingly the continuing support is rooted in older white males. It doesn’t take the exercise of too many other gray cells to notice that while Clinton scored higher with college educated men and women, 45 held sway with those who do not have post secondary degrees. Again, there are more people without these degrees than those who have them. Continuing support, then, extends more tenaciously to older white men, predominantly without college degrees.

It doesn’t take an advanced degree to observe that older white men without college degrees will form the core of 45’s support. What elements are conducive to continued support? Here are some bits of conjecture.

Short attention span theater. The continuing support is pleased that 45 is a man of action, cranking out executive orders like an old fashioned mimeograph to keep his promises. That most of these will not pass constitutional muster isn’t a problem, 45 has and will blame the judiciary, thus absolving the supporters from any liability for promoting the infractions. The continuing supporters may not be interested in long term resolutions to complex problems, just serve them up something quickly and they will be satisfied.

Marinated misinformation. Again, stating the obvious. Listening to massive amounts of right wing radio broadcasts and Fox News is conducive to developing a mental suit of armor against one’s perceived existential enemies. Poverty is black, and unworthy. Women are femi-nazi if they aren’t subjugated. Immigrants take jobs and commit crimes. Black lives don’t matter all that much, and the Elites are oppressing you. It’s a steady diet overfeeding predispositions.

Absorb enough of this and the continuing supporter will chant that we should build a wall to keep people out who aren’t coming, and applaud a Muslim immigration ban to prevent people coming in who harbor no plans to attack while accepting that thousands of Americans will die as a result of unregulated gun proliferation.

The unreality show. Marinate in enough misinformation and a person could believe that immigrants are taking jobs, or jobs are lost offshore when some 80% of lost manufacturing jobs are actually lost to automation. That the ACA is socialized medicine rather than subsidized private health insurance plans. That a person could be killed any minute by Islamist terrorists when more people are killed annually by lawnmowers.

Languish long enough in the unreality show and it’s little wonder we have people welcoming the short attention span theater, marinating in misinformation, and happily participating in 45’s unreality show.